The Pain of Loving a Heroine
by RuneFactoryFanatic
Summary: It contains SPOILERS. This story takes place as Frey is fighting Leon's monster form. It has a lot of ArthurxFrey, but there are other suggested romances as well. I have hopes that it will get steamier in the future, so I am rating it as M for just in case!
1. Chapter 1

_-These events take place right as the first arc is ending. To recap, Frey is an Earthmate who fell from an airship into the town of Selphia, suffered amnesia, and was warmly welcomed by all the townspeople. Through a strange turn of events, she took on the royal Princess duties, as the real prince Arthur wanted to experience the trading life. Frey had already saved the other three Guardians, a task given to her by the Divine Native Dragon Ventuswill. The Guardians were all once close friends of Ventuswill, and they sacrificed themselves without Ventuswill knowing to prolong her life. To free the Guardian, Frey had to defeat their monster form. Amber was a fairy, Dylas a demonic horse, Dolce a string-puppet, and now Frey faces Leon, a sarcophagus. To finally break the viscous cycle, Frey ventured into the Forest of Beginnings with only one hope of coming back..-_

 _Leon Karnak – Inner Chamber_

 ** _Frey P.O.V._**

My arm was bleeding, and I clutched my hand over the gash that the monster had made. It was on the ground, and before it could recover for its final attack, I took all the energy I had left and shot it with a water laser. It began ebb away, and the white lights closed in, forming a human. The room disappeared, and everything was white. The blood was dripping off of my hand, making my sword slip out of my weakening grip. I slid to my knees, and waited for the man to fully appear. His skin was caramel, like he spent all his days in the sun, and his fox ears were laid back. Soft blues decorated his face in a tribal pattern, and a tail poked out from the side of his leg. I sighed in relief, I had finally done it. Leon was saved. I stood shakily, and started to walk towards him, but I wasn't moving. He was actually getting further away. He was slipping away from my grasp. I was running as hard as I could, but there was no traction. I was stuck in this endless loop of running towards Leon, with no hope of ever reaching him. Was this what Venti's friends felt too? That no matter how hard they ran, no matter how hard they tried, that they could never reach her to save her? Did Venti feel this way too? The rune sphere was humming in my pocket, and the ring was growing hot on my finger. There was only one option, and Venti was going to hate me for it. To save her and the Guardians, there had to be one last sacrifice. My throat closed up, and I began to choke back tears. I wish I could have stayed, with the town, and with Arthur. He was going to be devastated, although I doubt he would let anyone comfort him. Venti would roar and shake the tower, probably shattering some glass in the process. Vishnal and Clorica would despair, and Volkanon even more so.. I didn't know what Jones, Nancy, Lin Fa, or Bado would do, but I hoped that would do their best to comfort the others. I hope that Forte wouldn't give up her sword at this loss, and that Kiel would keep searching for a way to bring me back to them. I took the ring off my finger and the sphere out of my pocket and held them in my hands. I'd never hear Meg's sweet music, or eat Porco's wonderful food again. I'd never tease Dylas about his smile, or see Granny Blossom in the General Store either. Doug would never get a rice dish from me, and Xiao might break more dishes in her distress. Amber would probably not smile for a few days, and while I know Illuminata would try her best, she would let her dear flowers wilt. I hope that maybe, just maybe, Pico can some see me and give some of my love back to the town, but she would probably just comfort Dolce. I stepped back, and aimed well, throwing the sphere and the ring right on top of Leon. I took a breath and yelled, "Aria!" at the top on my lungs. I saw the portal open, and I felt the last shred of joy that I would likely ever feel again, burst through the sadness. Leon was going to be safe. My mission was almost over. I wish I could have talked to Venti a little more, and I wish I had told Arthur that I loved him before I came here. I wish I could see his face, just one last time. I kept my eyes on Leon and that portal, and he sat up. "What.. is..?" He looked at me with wide eyes and I saw his eyes scan my bleeding arm. I smiled, although it was sadder than I wanted it to be. "Who..?" His voice was soft, and I stopped him. "I am an Earthmate Leon," his eyes widened even more, "Leon, will you tell Venti about what's happened here? And tell her thank you, for being my friend. It was fun. And tell Arthur that I'm sorry." I laughed, and the tears started to rain down my cheeks. His face turned angry, and I saw the understanding dawn on him. "You!-" and the portal pulled him in. The room was empty.

I sighed with relief, it was over. No more sacrifices, no more Guardians. I had broken the cycle, even though it had cost me my own life. The floor, if there even was one, shimmered and soft flowers made of light were floating above it. I sat down, and touched the charm Venti gave me that was attached to my armor. This was all I had now. This, was it. While I wanted to go back, I was confident that I had made the right choice. The town would miss me, but it would go on without me too. The air smelled like emery flowers, and I lay down. Fatigue washed over me, although it might have just been the loss of blood, and I closed my eyes. _Goodbye everyone, I loved you all more than words could ever express._

 _Selphia - Plaza_

Arthur paced as the whole town waited in the plaza. His clipped steps echoed through the night, and his robes swished against each other. His short hair, perfectly cut to the very last strand, whisped in the wind. Barret said that if, no, _when_ , Frey came back, she should appear in town square. Arthur had moved and cleaned every inch of the square as he waited for her to come back. He has calculated exactly where the middle of the plaza was, and placed spells of protection and healing over it. The townsfolk watched and waited, with their backs leaning against the castle walls. Their faces showed sorrow, and were filled to the rbim with worry. Vishnal stepped up towards Arthur, and spoke gently "Arthur, do you want some tea? I know you are anxious, we all are. Maybe sitting down with us would help.."

Arthur smiled at him, "Id love to sit, but if I sit than I will feel as if I am doing nothing." He paused and clenched his fists, "As the Prince of this kingdom, and as her friend, I should have gone with her. I let her go off alone." His voice cracked, and he pushed at his glasses again. Kiel had books and scrolls sprawled out around him. Kiel was looking for an alternate path, on the horrible chance that frey didn't make iit back.

"Kiel," Arthur cleared his throat, "Have you found anything..?" Kiel shook his head sadly and muttered, "Nothing, I've scoured every library and pulled all of its books relating to the Forest. The only way to go to the Forest of Beginnings is to pass on through death, there is absolutly no record of going there while you are living, or of coming back, except Barret's story of the Earthmate from his town. Even the details on that are fuzzy." Kiel pulled at his hair, and emitted a frustrated groan. He dove into the books once again, flipping through the dusty tomes. Arthur turned away again, once again shoving his glasses against his nose. Dylas was swishing his tail angrily, Doug was sitting on the floor with his head in his hands, and Vishnal was counting the seconds that went by with soft taps of his foot. Arthur began to pace again.

"Why does she do this?" Doug's muffled voice pierced the heavy silence. "Why does she risk everything to save people she hasn't even known for a year? What are we going to do if she doesn't come back?" The red-haired dwarf looked so guilty, and Arthurs eyes narrowed. Frey had confided in Arthur that Doug believed Ventuswill killed his tribe, which was utterly lucrdious because Ventuswill was magically bound to Selphia. If she left the town, she died.

Everyone's faces fell, and Volcanon spoke,

"We will honor her memory by living every day to the fullest. We will comfort eachother with love, and grieve as a family. Frey fell into our lives, and had the purest heart out of all of us. She does what she does out of love, and she knows right from wrong. She is not one to just stand by, we all know this. She goes out of her way to help every single person, because she loves us all. All we can do now, is wait for her to come back." Arthur turned away, and felt his face grow hot. There was no way she wouldn't return. She promised Ventuswill she would come back. She promised. The air seemed to buzz, and the townsfolk went on the alert. Arthur ran back to them and spoke in a hard voice, "Okay. Here it comes. There is a high possibility that some monsters will come back from the gate with her, be on your gard to attack them. The weaker townsfolk will rush inside and surround Venti. Myself and the others will attack the monsters. When we catch sight of Frey, Dylas is to snatch her and whomever the last Guardian is. Alright?" The people murmered in agreement. Arthur took out his wand and eyed the center of the plaza. The air swwmed to twist and coil. The plaza began to fill with light, and everyone braced themselves. It was exactly as he planned. He had spent weeks studying the portals and came up with every possible outsome of this exact monent. A small amount of light around a portal was common, and he watched it as it grew brighter. But then, it passed the point of the circumfrenece that Arthur had made the calculations for, something was wrong. The light kept getting brighter and brighter.

Arthur turned away and yelled, "Get inside! Something is wrong!" They all piled into the Dragon Room, and Ventuswill stared down at the ground. Arthur looked at her, and understanding dawned on him. "Something is horribly wrong isnt it..? Ventuswill. Tell us what is happening!" Outside, the sound of rushing water appeared, and dissappeared as the portal opened and closed. The mighty dragon's head hung lower as the light faded from the plaza, and tears rolled down her scaly face. "Please, go check on Leon." Ventuswill's voice was soft, and filled with sorrow.

They opened the doors to the plaza, a lone man was laying on the cold cobblestone, the return ring was on his chest broken in two. Nancy and Jones rushed forward to tend to him, as a nurse and a doctor should. Arthur's eyes darted all over the plaza, looking for her. But there was only Leon.

" No.." Arthur's voice was barely a whisper. The horrified whispers and shocked gasps erupted behind him as the people branched out into the plaza. He crumpled, and fell to his knees. "Frey! Frey you promised me! Damnit you promised me youd come back!" He yelled into the sky, and slammed his fists on the ground. The people of Selphia cut back choked sobs, and muffled cries. Behind them, Ventuswill roared into the night. Several minutes passed as the people mourned. Leon's voice was barely heard, but he called Arthur's name.

"I am guessing you are Arthur then, Frey had one last message for you before the portal took me." Leon stared into Arthur's red eyes, wild with anger and pain.

"She said, 'Tell Arthur I am sorry.'," Leon looked away, "I am so sorry for your loss, for all of you. All I knew was that I woke up, and there she was. She was covered in bruises, scratches, and her one arm was dripping blood, but she was grinning at me. She left me a message for Venti, and for Arthur, and told me goodbye. The last thing I saw was her smile. She must have been a remarkable woman." Leon paused and cast his eyes downward, "I am sorry she sacrificed herself for me. I would do anything to bring her back to you."

Arthur stood, and growled. "No. This is not how things will end. Kiel, Dylas, Amber, Dolce, Pico, you are all coming with me. We are going to speak with Ventuswill. On my life and on my blood as a prince of Norad, I will bring Frey home." The plaza filled with silence as Arthur's words rang out.

Dylas smiled, "Lets go. Frey is stubborn, but she cant be more stubborn that an ex-horse monster. Ill do all I can. Plus, I've never seen you so animated before. If anyone is going to bring her back, it's a determmined Arthur."

Amber spoke softly, "I can ask my friends in the forest. I still reseble my monster form, so I can get through to them." Arthur nodded at Amber as she walked to the forest. "Doug, Illuminata, you two will accompany her. And Doug," a pregnant pause filled the air, "your transgressions against Ventuswill are well known." Doug stopped in his tracks.

"While I may have transgressions against that dragon, I will spill my own blood if needed to bring Frey back. Do not ever doubt that." Dougs eyes were piercing as he looked at Arthur.

Arthur nooded at him in approval. "Noted. Dolce and Pico, since Pico is, well, dead, you two have more knowledge than I do. What happened when you died Pico? I hate to ask the harsh question, but you are the only ghost I know."

Pico looked at him with sad eyes, " When I died I was very young, as you can see. I remember being in a place filled with a white light. All I thought of was Dolly. I kept thinking of her and basically screaming her name over and over. Then, I was pulled from the light and I was attached to Dolly from that point on.." Pico trailed off, and Arthur looked to Dolce.

Her voice was monotone, and her eyes were cast to the ground. "I was already transformed into a monster then, so my memories of what were happening are fuzzy. I remember being in the mansion, and looking at some cute stuffed animals, they were the kind that Pico liked. Its possible that as I was thinking of her, and when she was thinking of me, the bond of love pulled her back. But then again, I was also filled with power from becoming a guadian. So the Runes would have affected that as well." Arthur closed his eyes and thought deeply.

Dylas spoke up, "But if all it took was love, then Frey should already be here." His face became red as he spoke, but he stood proudly. "Each of us loves Frey in our own way."

Arthur squinted his eyes at Dylas, and paced back and forth some more.

"No, you are missing something that ties Frey to the real world." Leon's voice was calm. "When she was speaking to me, I saw that she had a feather from Ventuswill pinned to a broach. If we can.."

Arthur's voice was shaking as he finished Leon's sentence "If we can duplicate that feather pendant, there is a chance.. There's a chance she could come back." The townsfolk ran into the Dragon's chamber, and poured out their discovery. Venti's eyes were closed as she spoke softly, "There is no way to duplicate it. Each of my feathers are vastly different when it comes to hue, structure, and texture. You could pluck every feather from my body, and never be able to make a replica. I am so sorry. Once again.. I have caused the town to lose someone dear." Arthur slipped away, as the people grieved together and as Ventuswill spoke to Leon, to Frey's room. He sat on her bed, and put his head in his hands.

He heard Amber, Doug, and Illuminata talking to Venti. "All the animals in the forest are gone. The energy is gone too. What is going on?" Amber sounded so helpless and sad.

Arthur pulled back his hands, and wiped the tears from his face. The room smelled like her. It smelled of life.. Of plants in the summer sun, of flowers in spring, and of harvest in fall. Frey was so full of life and love. He remembered when he would drop by, just to spend every shred of time he could spare with her. Having tea, eating food, laughing, just being in her presence was enough for him. He sighed, and felt his entire being deflate. The last time he had come by, his fingers had lingered on her face when he placed a new pair of glasses on her. Her face had turned the cutest shade of pink, and her eyes had closed for several seconds. He should have kissed her then. She was absolutely everything he would have asked for. Arthur smiled bitterly. He should have told her hoe he felt. And now she was gone.

There was a knock on the door, and while he wanted to desperately to ignore it, it was his duty to be there with everyone, to be the stronghold. He opened the door, and instead of a person, was a monster. His eyes widened and he slowly pulled out his wand, but the monster did not attack. Arthur looked closer at it, and the monster was transparent. It was a spirit monster, and it was holding something in its hands. A soft voice echoed through the room, "We mourn the loss of the Earthmate. We cannot do much, but we have retrieved this. If anything can bring her back, it is the love of this town." The monster never spoke, the the voices seemed to ride in on the wind. The monster edged closer to Arthur and placed an item on the floor. "Please, bring her back." The monster disappeared, and Arthur picked up the item wrapped in leaves. His eyes widened, and he placed a hand over his mouth to hold in his cries.

It was the pendant.

 _The Forest of Beginnings_

 _"No!_ _Frey! Frey you promised me! Damnit you promised me you'd come back!"_ Frey'd eyes shot open, and she hurriedly stood to her feet as she searched the shimmering room. "Arthur?! Arthur, is that you? Can you hear me? I'm here!" Frey shouted as sobs bubbled up in her throat. His voice was so pained, he had never shown emotion like that before..

" _On my life and on my blood as a prince or Norad, I will bring Frey home."_ Frey let out another sob. "I made my choice Arthur. I completed my mission. I.. I cant come back to you. There isn't any other way out." She stumbled and gripped her arm, it hurt so bad, and she couldn't move her fingers anymore.

Everyone's shouts of determination and love flooded into the room, and Frey cried with joy at the sound of those who cared for her.

 _"Frey, if you can hear us, even in the smallest amount, call for us. Wish and pray and long to go back home with all your might. Please. We need you. I need you."_ Arthur's voice was softer this time, pleading. Immediately, Frey called everyone's names, and recounted every happy memory, she screamed until her voice was gone, and then continued on even after that..

 _Selphia - Plaza_

Arthur's voice rumbled through the plaza, "Louder! If we are to bring her back, we must emit the highest amount of energy possible! This is the only plan we have!" Everyone was yelling Frey's name, calling our with their voices and their souls to bring her back.

The air sounded like a tidal wave as Ventuswill floated from the sky onto the ground. "If we are to bring back Frey, mere mortals cannot do it, at least not alone."

Ventuswill shot a smile at Arthur, "Come, press yourselves against me. Everyone must touch me, and we will combine our efforts. Our call will surly get through to her." Tentatively, everyone surrounded the dragon, and she spoke once more. "At the count of three, we will call into the skies Frey's name. You will spend this entire moment thinking of nothing but your intense love and respect for Frey. Do you understand?" Ventuswill breathed in deep, "One, two, three!"

The mightiest roar that Arthur had ever heard erupted from Ventuswill, and he joined in. Frey was the only person to show him love and genuine concern, and he was going to love her for the rest of his days. Arthur would love her whether she loved him back or not.. And, by the gods, this love was going to bring her back! The square started to shimmer, and glow faintly, and Venti roared once more. The winds picked up and swirled around the shimmer in the center of the plaza as it glowed brighter and brighter. "Arthur! Catch her!"

Arthur rushed out from under Ventuswill's wing and into the small tornado that she created. In its eye, glowing balls of light, much like the fireflies from their first date, were forming a body. Arthur stooped down and moved his arms under the light, and turned his head as it emitted a powerful energy blast. Suddenly, his arms were heavy and he pulled the weight to him, stumbling backward and falling, but he managed to clutch Frey close to him. Arthur finally looked down and his heart dropped. Yes, she was here, but she was covered in wounds. Her one arm dangled limply and was covered in crusted, red blood. He touched her forehead and she was on fire.

"Frey..? Can you hear me..? You are safe now, I have you." Arthur buried his face in her hair one more time, and then hollered for Jones. Arthur managed to get to his feet, and he took off full speed for the clinic. He heard the townsfolk scrambling to get supplies and doing everything they could to help. Jones and Nancy were right behind him. Arthur kicked open the clinic door, and placed her on the bed. Nancy was the first to come in and gasped.

"Jones she'd covered in blood, brace yourself. Small lacerations all over the body, and a severe gash on the left arm. It looks like an ankle may be broken, and the right side of her face is swelling. Possibility of poison." Nancy continued, recounting every injury Frey had, as Jones set to work with his eyes closed. Arthur's anger welled inside of him, how could a person who gets sick at the sight of blood become a doctor?

"Arthur, I have to ask you to step out so Jones and I can take care of her." Nancy's voice was soft, and no longer commanding as Jones was bent over Frey.

"Promise me one thing Nancy, the moment that she is patched and bandaged, you will come and get me. I will be spending every minute by her side until she wakes up." He watched as Nancy's eyes widened, and he added in the first excuse that popped in his head. "It is the duty of the Prince to be there for the people." Arthur's voice was stern, and Nancy nodded. He'd say anything to just be able to stay close to her. Arthur looked back at the clinic curtain, and saw Jones stitching Frey's arm with perfect precision with his head turned and his eyes still closed. Turning on his heel, Arthur stepped out of the clinic door.

"Well..? How is she?" The entire town stood outside the clinic, and Leon stood in front of them all. The fan he held in front of his face was made of peacock feathers and it slightly muffled his words, but it was easy enough to guess what he was asking. All eyes were on Arthur, and he straightened himself up.

"Nancy and Jones are doing their best. Frey's left arm was covered in blood, and she had a pretty big cut near her bicep area. I wouldn't be surprised if she loses some mobility in it. She was running a fever, but that could have been from the intensity of her wounds, or an after effect of being in the Forest of Beginnings. Nancy will get me when Frey is bandaged up, and I will be staying in the clinic until Frey is awake again." Arthur paused, "In the mean time, We need to help out with her crops and take care of her monsters. I can make-"

Volkanon's voice boomed, "Do not worry yourself with those matters. Vishnal, Clorica, and myself will tend to them." Volkanon turned to Leon, "And since Frey will not be using her room for the time being, you can stay there until she wakes up. They we will find a permanent place for you. You will be right next to Ventuswill, and the butler's quarters are on the other side of the Divine Dragon. Please ask any member of this town for anything you may need." Arthur severely disagreed with allowing this, this strange man to sleep in the bed that Frey slept in, but there was no arguing it. Arthur extended his hand to Leon, "No one here will hold anything against you. Frey has already saved Amber, Dylas, and Dolce from the Guardian spell as well and come home with many wounds too. Arthur, prince of Norad, at your service." Leon raised an eyebrow and shook Arthur's hand. Leon chuckled, "Thank you, Arthur. Can someone take me to her room please..? Its been centuries since I've felt a bed." Arthur nodded and dismissed the people, telling everyone to come visit again in the morning. He walked with Leon to Frey's quarters, and slowly opened the door. To his right was the small table they he and Frey would have tea at, and it still showed some tea leaves from their last meeting. Arthur ran his fingers over the table, and crumbled the loose tea leaf in his hand.

"She is certainly something special, isn't she?" Leon's tail and ears flitted as he looked at Arthur. Arthur sighed.

'She is the most amazing, reckless, and wonderful person I have ever known." There was a thick and heavy pause as they stood in Frey's room. Arthur sent a forced smile towards Leon, and turned to leave. "Well, I am going to wait in my office for Nancy. Sleep well."

"Wait There is one more thing." Leon put his hand on the door frame, "I'm sorry for the damage I have caused. I know it is my fault for her condition, and while you say you hold no resentments, I find that hard to believe. So I am apologizing to you, and if there is anything I can help with, I am in your service." Arthur nodded solemnly.

"When Frey came back from fighting Dylas' monster form, she had broken almost all the bones on her right side from him slamming her into a pillar. Yet, she managed to carry Dylas back and put him in the infirmary. It is hard to look past things like that, but even Dylas cant forgive himself, so who am I to heap more guilt on top of the man? As painful for me as it is to see her like that, bruised and battered, she does not hold grudges against any of the Guardians, so neither can I." Arthur's hands clenched.

"So you love her..?" Leon moved from the door, leaving Arthur the choice to either leave, or stay and answer the question.

Arthur looked sadly at Leon, "I do."

Leon prodded further, "Does she know?"

Arthur cast his eyes to the ground, "I don't know."

Leon nodded, and Arthur closed the door softly behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**_-Author's note: Thanks for joining me for chapter two! I loved where the first one was going, and if you have anything you liked, disliked, were hoping for, or just want to give a critique, please leave me a review or send me a message! Thank you for sticking with me!-_**

 _Sainte-Coquille Manor – Arthur's Study_

Arthur sat at his desk and attempted to work, but his eyes kept drifting to the door, waiting for Nancy to give him the all-clear to go see Frey. His body was stiff with worry, and he sighed. It was two in the morning, and even if he went upstairs to go to bed, there would be no way he could ever get to sleep. Not when he knew she was in danger. He finally put the pen down, and relaxed his hand. He stretched out his fingers, and watched as the bones and tendons moved under his skin. He remembered how Frey's hands were splotched, and flecks of blood had dried on them.

Arthur stood shakily, and was tempted to walk down to the clinic himself, but all he would be is a nuisance to the healing process. He had been through this before, the constant worrying for Frey's safety, but she had never been this bad. She had a few cuts and scrapes from fighting Ambrosia, at the most a bruise to her shin. Marionette was a little rougher and Frey broke a few fingers and suffered some shallow, but long, gashes. Thunderbolt was the worst, well, until this new Guardian's monster..

He still had the painful memory of Frey's hoarse voice calling out, as she limped into town with Dylas slung over her back. She had put so much strain on herself, and she fell forward and almost smashed into the cobblestone before Doug caught her. Arthur's heart was in his throat as he watched Frey's face contort in immeasurable amounts of pain as she cast her own healing magic on herself. Arthur could actually see all the bones on her right side, move beneath her skin to re-align and heal. He could not have imagined a more painful way to fix oneself. And then, she stood up and carried an unconscious Dylas to the infirmary, with Doug trailing after her begging her to let him help. Arthur had watched from the Dragon's room, and Ventuswill looked strained as they watched the scene play out. Frey wouldn't tell anyone, but Arthur saw that she had to water her crops differently now, and that riding her pet wolf now pained her. She was too independent and humble to ask for further healing or help, but he wished she would just think of herself for a few moments.

He sat back down and leaned over his desk, laying his head on his thick workbook. His eyes wandered to the sitting area by the door, and he remembered when Frey found his most coveted possession, those stupid old glasses. And just a week ago, she scolded him for working too hard. Arthur smiled, she was too cute, telling _him_ to stop working so hard. When she comes home in the early hours of the morning after spending all night in the outer lands, fighting monsters and collecting items to craft with. Too many times, he saw her on the verge of collapsing from too much work, and yet she made time to greet him every day and bring him his favorite foods.

Arthur listened to the minutes tick by, and watched the sky slowly turn from the royal blue, to a softer teal. He closed his eyes for a moment, and thought about her. He had never _officially_ declared any kinds of romantic feelings towards her, but he had let several comments about her cuteness slip. Did she know? Did she feel anything towards him..? She had left that message with Leon, but was that to apologize for not coming back for _him_ or for leaving him with the princess duties? Knowing Frey, it was most likely the princess part. She was so open and caring with everyone, and took on more than any mere human should be able to handle, she was probably the only reason the town has been able to prosper so much. She has helped everyone so much, and like Dylas said, we all love her in our own way.

Wait.

 _…. Wait._

Arthur's eyes flew open and he shot to an upright position in his chair, with a paper fresh with ink attached to his cheek. Did Dylas have feelings for Frey?

Arthur's eyes widened. How has he been so blind? Of course he did. Dylas is always turning red the second she enters the room, and he always glances at the door eagerly in the mornings waiting for arrival.. Just like Arthur. Come to think of it, she brings Dylas sashimi every day. Does she do that for everyone? Doug too? Vishnal? Kiel? Arthur put his fingertips on his temples and slowly rubbed.

Of course she did. That's the kind of person she is. She is overly kind, so why had he thought he was special? Its obvious that she's very physically attractive, and with her heart of gold, she could probably catch the attention of any suitor that happened to hear her sweet voice. He laughed bitterly, heck, he had fallen for her the second he saw her face. Arthur felt like a fool for thinking he was the only one who felt something for her, in fact, he wouldn't be surprised if all the bachelors in town had fallen for her! The paper fluttered slightly, and then slowly fell to the floor. Rubbing his face, Arthur's hand came away with ink marks, and he sighed.

Slowly standing, Arthur silently made his way out of his office and towards Frey's farm. She had a well he could use to scrub the water off, he didn't want to wake Porcoline or Dylas with the noisy faucets.

His footsteps echoed through the night, or morning, it looked to be almost 4am. The horizon was beginning to brighten with a soft shade of pink. He crunched his way through the gravel and dirt, and heard her pets begin to growl. Smudge, her wolf, peeked his head out of the barn with his teeth bared.

"Shh, It is fine. You are fine. It's me." His whispers fell on Smudge's ears instantly, and the once terrifying monster turned into a goofy lapwolf. Smudge's tongue rolled out of his mouth and his ears laid back. He made a soft ruff noise, and turned back into the barn. Arthur sat on the edge of the well and began to scrub at his face. When his reflection showed nothing but clean skin, he softly walked through the Dragon's room, and made his way towards the clinic.

As he walked, Arthur listened to the silence of the dawn and took his time putting one foot in front of the other, hoping to prolong the trip to make it appear as if he didn't stay up all night. Eventually, he was in front of the clinic door, and he was right on time. It was about 5:30, and Arthur gave a soft knock on the door.

He heard footsteps padding down the stairs, and a hushed, "No keep working, I'll get it." Dolce's voice was firm, and Arthur winced. They were _still_ working? Frey must be in really bad shape for Nancy and Jones to still be at it. He composed himself just in time, as the door opened.

"Hey. They are still working on her, but, she is almost done." Dolce and Pico looked exhausted, and Pico gave a tiny smile. "Don't worry Prince, Nancy, Jones, and Dolly have spent alllllll night making medications and potions and salves for Frey. The only thing is.."- Dolce snaked her hand around Pico's mouth and clamped it shut.

"We are not to give the news. That is for the actual professionals to do." Dolce looked irritated, but glanced at Arthur, who's one eye brow was raised.

"Ahh. I see, well. When can I speak to Nancy and Jones?" Arthur's voice came out clipped, and he struggled to only show and expression of calm.

"Now." Nancy's voice came from the back of the clinic, and she emerged from the curtained-off area where Frey was. "Dolce, Pico, go ahead and go to bed. I'm sure Arthur will be spending all day here, so you can sleep the day away and rest. Thank you for all you did." The ladies trudged, well Pico floated, up the stairs.

"So, all is not going as well as expected I gather?" Arthur scanned Nancy's face, but she stared him down.

"We have healed most of the cuts, and she had been patted down and wrapped with various salves and herbs to solve the massive bruising and the twisted ankle. The gash in her arm is, troublesome. Jones and I made a special blend of a protein and a paragone to hopefully encourage the muscles to rebuild so she won't lose any mobility, but it is unsure whether it will work or not. The gash has been officially stitched and closed up, and the skin is healing quicker than we thought it would.." Nancy paused.

"It's the fever isn't it?" Arthur clenched his fist inside his sleeve, so Nancy wouldn't see.

"Yes. And it's not a typical fever either. Standard ones are around one hundred and one to one hundred and four. The worst I've seen is when Kiel's was one hundred and eight. Frey is at one hundred and fifteen." Nancy's voice was frustrated, and she looked to the back of the clinic.

Arthur blanched. "That's, that's what is going to severely harm her isn't it."

Nancy nodded, "Hallucinations, convulsions, and difficulty breathing.. We can't afford to have her convulse or have a seizure in her already critical state. We have tried all the salves we have, and we have even used every piece of white grass that we had!" She sounded exasperated. "But nothing is breaking it. We can't take her to the lake to dip her in the cool water, because of risk of infection, the hot springs will only make it worse.. Jones has already written and sent out several letters to his colleagues asking for any ideas on what to do."

"Understood. I will write the capital as well. Is it possible that I could see her..?" Arthur's voice was composed. "As the acting prince again, I need to be able to give an accurate report of everything happening, and be responsible for the care and the wellbeing of all our people." He pulled that lame excuse out again, and Nancy gave a small smile.

"You can just see her as Arthur too, and you can stay at her side as just Arthur. We all care about Frey, and it seems like you more than some of the others due to your.. Animated display." She walked back and placed a chair at the edge of the curtain, and began to pull the curtain open.

Arthur ground his teeth together as he saw Frey's body. Her clothes were in tatters, and everywhere there was skin, it seemed to be covered in bandages and herbs. Any inch of skin he did she, was splotched and an angry red due to the fever. The right side of her face was slightly puffy, but it wasn't as bad as earlier that night. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, and even though she was unconscious, her mouth was twisted into a scowl due to the pain.

"I'm going to stay here all day, to stay on watch. I have enough medical expertise to know how to change the gauze and what to use, go ahead and sleep for a few hours. I'll get you if something happens." Arthur sat in the chair and took his favorite book out of his pocket, gingerly placing it on his lap to read.

"Alright. If you feel up to it, try to read out loud to her. That is one of the oldest tricks in the books to help a patient relax. Even just reading a list of numbers, it's the chance for the patient to focus on your voice to avoid the thought of the pain. Good night."

 _Tiny Bandage Clinic – 2F Nancy and Jones' Room_

"Well? How did he take it?" Jones' voice was soft so that Arthur couldn't hear anything.

"He was calm. Too calm in my personal opinion. I'm sure it was a front, I could see his jaw clenching as I moved the curtain and he saw her. Its obvious the boy loves her, and Frey did mutter his name more than once in her unconscious state.." Nancy's voice trailed, just as soft as Jones'.

"You didn't tell him that did you?" Jones looked at Nancy suspiciously, and sighed in relief when she shook her head no. "That's for the best. For now, lets sleep. Honestly, just having him in the same room as her might help with her condition."

 _Tiny Bandage Clinic – 1F_

"Frey, you let your guard down too much this fight." Arthur shakily placed his hand over her forehead, and she seemed to wince. He pulled back immediately. Her skin was so hot. Arthur pulled the chair closer to her bedside, and began to softly read to her. Over time, her brows seemed to relax more and more, until her face looked actually relaxed. Arthur got to chapter four, when there was a soft knock on the clinic door. It slowly creaked open, and Leon peeked his head in.

"Hey!-" Arthur made a cut-off motion with his hands, and put a finger to his lips. Slowly and quietly, Arthur got up and made his way to Leon.

"She needs copious amounts of rest, which unfortunately means no visitors. I am on watch right now, as the clinic folk worked until about 6am to get her to a stable condition, and even now it is shaky on whether she will.. be able to win this battle. The biggest issue at hand is trying to bring her fever down." Arthur looked Leon up and down.

"Can I trust you to relay my message to the townspeople, and to Ventuswill? If possible, ask Kiel to research any new or extremely old ways to break a fever that we haven't been able to try yet." Arthur's eyes darted back to Frey.

"Sure Prince." Leon looked back to Frey's gauzed up body, and sighed. Then his fox ears perked up. "Wait, the fever is the most important part right now right? I know a spell for that."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Do you remember it? Can you be certain it will not bring any more harm than she is already in? It is safe?" The questions poured from his mouth.

"I cannot guarantee anything, but it is what we used to do in my village ages ago. May I come in?" Leon's voice sounded, overly confident, and Arthur opened the door wider and swept his arm to welcome the man in.

They made their way over to her, and Arthur trailed a fingertip across her forehead again. "Whatever you have to do to make her well, do it."

"There's a catch to this magic, and honestly you might not want to pay the price." Leon's voice wavered slightly. "Sometimes, the magic not only takes the fever, but pieces of memory as well. Thankfully, she has that diary on the side of her bed, so she can grasp a lot of what's happened, but emotions, the sensations of friendship and any feelings of love would be lost. Are you willing to risk that if she did have feelings of love for you?"

"Her memory..? Again..? I can't even begin to imagine how painful it would be to lose your memory again.. I'm not worried about any feelings of love for me, if she wakes up and hates me.. That's fine as long as she wakes up. Let us wait until Jones and Nancy are awake, and we can discuss it with them. In the meantime-"

"Arthur.." Frey's garbled voice, thick with sleep, spoke hi name so softly it seemed to ride on the wind, and for a moment, it seemed as though the whole world stood still.

"F-Frey?" Arthur placed his hand gingerly on her chin and turned her face towards him. Her eyelids fluttered. "Frey, are you there..? Can you hear me?" He laced her other hand with his. "If you can hear me, can you squeeze my hand?" His lips trembled as he felt her hand press into his.

"Stairs, to the left of the door, run up them. Call for Jones. Now." Leon nodded at the orders Arthur just spit at him and leapt into action. "Frey, you are at the clinic. Ventuswill is safe, and you saved Leon too. You did it. But you are still recovering. I'm here, and I wont leave your side okay? Squeeze again if you understand." Her hand pressed into his again, and he heard the padding of several footsteps down the stairs.

"When did she open her eyes?" Jones immediately came over in full on professional mode.

"She has not opened them yet. They fluttered. She softly said my name, and is squeezing my hand to respond to questions." Arthur reported and answered every question Jones had in a methodic rhythm, and then remembered what Leon had said.

"Leon says he can break the fever with a magic spell." Arthur blurted out, and Nancy and Jones turned to Leon.

"Alright Leon, explain your spell." Jones picked up a wet cloth and laid it gently over Frey's head.

"It is an old spell that we used back in my village when someone's fever got too high. We only did it with infants and toddlers though; the spell has the ability and the tendency to take hunks of memory when it takes the fever away." Leon looked over at Frey.

"If you are okay with some of her memory disappearing again, I can break the fever. But I warn you, since she is not a child, I'm worried it might take everything. We never practiced this on adults. Many said they would rather pass on to the other side than forget the memories they had accumulated.. I am not so sure that this is a decision you can make for her." Leon looked at Arthur as he said this, and Arthur tore himself away from Leon's piercing gaze. Frey's face was pained again, and beads of sweat were forming all over her face.

Would she believe him if he told her of all the times they spent together? Did she ever write them down? Would he just be a kind prince to her if she lost her memory? Not that it mattered.. As long as Frey was healthy and smiling, Arthur would be able to move on with his life. Even if she saw him as nothing more than a stranger.

"Frey, the only way to help you," Arthur's voice was soft as he filled the silence in the room. "The only way that we can help you, might involve you losing all your memory again. Are you okay with that? Squeeze once for no, and twice for yes." He waited patiently as he waited for the first squeeze hoping she was still semi-conscious, and sighed in relief when she pressed into his hand once. Almost directly after though, she gave another press, but instead of letting off, she gripped his hand with almost all the strength she had.

"That's two squeezes Leon. She has made her decision."


End file.
